How to Set Up Your First Profitable Engagement Ad: The Complete 7-Day Guide for Course Creators

posted by:

Salome Schillack

Stop dancing for the algorithm and start making social media work FOR you with this step-by-step engagement ad strategy

💡 Want the full picture? This article goes hand-in-hand with Episode 311: Boost Social Audience Engagement with 1 Easy Ad of The Launch Lounge Podcast.

Pop in your earbuds and get the deeper dive.

👉 [Listen to the companion episode here]

Are you tired of watching your best content disappear into the social media void while random posts from strangers flood your followers' feeds? You're not alone. The harsh reality is that organic reach on Facebook and Instagram has plummeted to just 5.2% for business pages, meaning 95% of your followers never see your valuable content.

But here's the thing: you don't have to choose between entertaining strangers and reaching your actual people. There's a strategic way to flip the script and train the algorithm to work in your favor – and it starts with engagement ads.

In this comprehensive guide, I'll walk you through exactly how to find your highest-potential post and transform it into a profitable engagement ad that fills your audience buckets, trains the algorithm, and sets the foundation for successful list-building campaigns later.

What Are Engagement Ads and Why They're Game-Changers for Course Creators

Engagement ads are Facebook and Instagram ads specifically designed to generate likes, comments, shares, and saves on your content. Unlike conversion ads that push for immediate sales, engagement ads focus on building relationships and warming up your audience.

For course creators and online business owners, engagement ads serve three critical purposes:

1. Algorithm Training: They teach Meta's algorithm who your ideal customers are by showing your content to people who actively engage with it.

2. Audience Building: Every person who engages gets added to your custom audiences (your “buckets”), creating warm audiences for future campaigns.

3. Social Proof Creation: Higher engagement numbers make your content more attractive to both the algorithm and potential customers.

Recent data shows that engagement ads typically cost between $0.005-$0.01 per engagement, making them one of the most cost-effective ways to build your audience and improve organic reach.

Part 1: Finding Your Best Engagement Ad Post (The Foundation of Success)

Not all content is created equal when it comes to engagement ads. The key is identifying posts that already resonate with your existing audience and have the potential to attract your ideal customers.

The 4-Category Post Audit System

Use this proven scoring system to evaluate your last 20 posts from the past 60 days across Facebook and Instagram. Rate each post 1-5 in these categories:

Category 1: Hook Strength (1-5 Points)

Your hook determines whether someone stops scrolling or keeps moving. In today's attention economy, you have approximately 3 seconds to capture interest.

5 points: Strong call-out to your ideal customer

Example: “If you're a course creator struggling with low enrollment…”

4 points: Clear benefit or transformation promise

Example: “How I went from 50 to 5,000 email subscribers in 90 days”

3 points: Intriguing question or statement

Example: “What if I told you that your biggest marketing mistake is also your biggest opportunity?”

2 points: Decent opening but not audience-specific

Example: “Here's what I learned this week…”

1 point: Generic or weak opening

Example: “Happy Monday everyone!”

Category 2: Value Beyond Entertainment (1-5 Points)

Entertainment might get likes, but value builds authority and attracts buyers. Your content should position you as the guide your ideal customers need.

5 points: Teaches something actionable + positions your expertise

Provides a specific strategy, framework, or step-by-step process
Demonstrates your knowledge in your field

4 points: Strong teaching moment or inspiration

Shares a valuable insight or lesson learned
Motivates action without being purely motivational

3 points: Some value but mostly personal/entertaining

Personal stories with light business relevance
Behind-the-scenes content with minimal takeaways

2 points: Light value, mostly entertainment

Funny observations about your industry
Personal updates with minimal business connection

1 point: Pure entertainment, no business relevance

Memes, personal life updates, random thoughts

Engagement from your existing warm audience is the best predictor of how well content will perform in ads.

5 points: 20+ comments, multiple shares, saves, or high engagement rate
4 points: 10-19 comments or strong engagement from warm audience
3 points: 5-9 comments or decent warm audience engagement
2 points: 2-4 comments, mostly likes
1 point: Minimal engagement overall

Pro tip: Pay attention to the quality of comments, not just quantity. Thoughtful responses indicate deeper engagement.

Category 4: Ideal Customer Alignment (1-5 Points)

The most engaging post in the world won't help your business if it attracts the wrong people.

5 points: Your ideal customer would immediately think “This is for me!”
4 points: Clearly relevant to your niche and customer's problems
3 points: Somewhat relevant to your audience
2 points: Broad appeal but not specific
1 point: Appeals to everyone, specific to no one

Interpreting Your Results

16+ points: Perfect engagement ad candidate
12-15 points: Good backup options
Below 12: Look for your most recent educational post about your expertise

If no post scores above 12, don't panic. Choose your most recent post that taught something valuable about your zone of expertise. Educational content often outperforms high-engagement entertainment posts in ads.

Part 2: Setting Up Your Custom Audiences (Your Marketing “Buckets”)

Before launching any ads, you need to set up custom audiences to capture everyone who engages with your content. Think of these as buckets that collect warm prospects for future campaigns.

The 4 Essential Custom Audiences

Audience 1: Email List (Your Gold Bucket)

Your email subscribers are your warmest audience and most likely to convert.

Setup Steps:

Go to Ads Manager → Audiences → Create Audience → Custom Audience
Choose “Customer List”
Upload your email list CSV file
Name it: “Email List – [Current Month/Year]”

Minimum requirement: 100 recognizable contacts in your target country

Audience 2: Website Visitors (90 Days)

People who've visited your website have shown interest in your business.

Setup Steps:

Create Custom Audience → Website Traffic
Choose “All website visitors in the past 90 days”
Name it: “Website Visitors – 90 Days”

Audience 3: Instagram Engagement (90 Days)

Captures everyone who has engaged with your Instagram business profile.

Setup Steps:

Create Custom Audience → Instagram Business Profile
Select “Everyone who engaged with your business”
Set timeframe: 90 days
Name it: “Instagram Engagement – 90 Days”

Audience 4: Facebook Engagement (90 Days)

Similar to Instagram but for your Facebook page interactions.

Setup Steps:

Create Custom Audience → Facebook Page
Select “Everyone who engaged with your Page”
Set timeframe: 90 days
Name it: “Facebook Engagement – 90 Days”

Creating Your Lookalike Audience

This is your secret weapon for finding new people who look like your best customers.

Setup Steps:

Create Lookalike Audience using your email list as the source
Choose 1% similarity in your target country
Name it: “LAL Email List 1% [Country]”

Why this works: Meta analyzes your email subscribers and finds new people with similar characteristics, interests, and behaviors.

Part 3: Launching Your First Engagement Ad (Step-by-Step)

Now comes the exciting part – setting up your first engagement ad. Follow these steps exactly to avoid common pitfalls.

Campaign Level Setup

Step 1: Click “Create” in Ads Manager
Step 2: Choose “Engagement” as your objective
Step 3: Name your campaign: “Engagement – [Post Topic] – [Date]”
Step 4: Leave all other settings as default

Ad Set Level Configuration

Step 5: Name your ad set: “LAL Email 1% + Interests”

Step 6: Set your audience targeting

Start with your Lookalike Audience from Email List (if you have 1000+ emails)
OR choose 2-3 interest-based audiences related to your niche
Critical: Avoid Meta's Advantage+ audience targeting – it shows ads to random people instead of your carefully chosen audience

Step 7: Set your daily budget

Beginners: $1-3/day
Recommended: $5/day
Experienced: $10+/day

Step 8: Leave placements on “Advantage+ Placements”
Step 9: Keep optimization on “Engagement” (default)

Ad Level Setup

Step 10: Choose “Use Existing Post”
Step 11: Select your winning post from Part 1
Step 12: Review all settings and publish

Budget Planning Guide

Daily Budget	Weekly Spend	Monthly Spend	90-Day Investment
$1/day	$7	$30	$90
$3/day	$21	$90	$270
$5/day	$35	$150	$450
$10/day	$70	$300	$900

Start with what feels comfortable – even $1/day can generate valuable results and audience growth.

Part 4: Tracking Success and Optimization

Key Metrics to Monitor Weekly

Cost Per Engagement

Target: Under $0.01 (1 cent) per engagement
Great performance: Under $0.005 (half a cent)
Red flag: Over $0.02 consistently

Audience Growth

Check your custom audiences weekly for steady growth:

Instagram/Facebook engagement audiences should grow by 50-200 people per week with a $5/day budget
Website visitors should show consistent increases
Email list audience remains stable (unless you're actively growing it)

Organic Post Performance

Monitor your regular posts for improved reach and engagement. This improvement typically takes 2-4 weeks to manifest as the algorithm learns your audience preferences.

Success Timeline Expectations

Week 1: Ad approval, engagement costs stabilize, audiences begin growing

Weeks 2-3: Steady audience growth, cost per engagement optimizes, engagement quality improves

Weeks 4-6: Organic content may start performing better, increased profile visits and followers

Months 2-3: Ready to layer in list-building ads to your warmed audiences

When to Make Changes

Keep running if:

Cost per engagement under $0.01
Audiences growing steadily
Comments and engagement feel on-brand
No major shifts in your business messaging

Review targeting if:

Cost per engagement consistently over $0.02
Very slow audience growth
Comments/engagement feel off-brand or irrelevant

Update creative if:

You're launching something new
Your messaging has shifted significantly
You want to test a different high-scoring post

Advanced Tips for Maximum Results

Respond to comments on your engagement ads promptly and thoughtfully. This increases the post's engagement rate and shows the algorithm that your content generates meaningful conversations.

Test Multiple Posts

Once you've found success with one post, test your backup options (posts scoring 12-15 points). Different posts may resonate with different segments of your lookalike audience.

Seasonal Adjustments

Adjust your targeting and budget during peak seasons for your industry. Course creators often see increased engagement in January, September, and during economic uncertainty periods.

Integration with Organic Strategy

Use insights from your engagement ads to inform your organic content strategy. Posts that perform well in ads often indicate topics your audience wants to hear more about.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Mistake 1: Using Advantage+ audience targeting

This lets Meta show your ads to anyone, defeating the purpose of strategic audience building.

Mistake 2: Choosing entertainment over education

High-engagement entertainment posts rarely convert to customers.

Mistake 3: Setting budgets too high initially

Start small, prove the concept, then scale.

Mistake 4: Ignoring comment quality

100 irrelevant comments are less valuable than 10 thoughtful ones from ideal customers.

Mistake 5: Stopping too early

Give your ads at least 2-3 weeks to optimize and show results.

Your Next Steps: From Engagement to Revenue

Engagement ads are just the beginning of your profitable ad journey. Once you've built warm audiences through engagement ads, you can:

Launch list-building ads to your engaged audiences with lead magnets
Create retargeting campaigns for your website visitors
Develop conversion campaigns for your email subscribers
Scale successful campaigns with increased budgets

The key is patience and consistency. Engagement ads work best as part of a long-term strategy, not a quick fix.

Ready to Stop Dancing for the Algorithm?

You now have everything you need to launch your first profitable engagement ad in the next 7 days. The framework is proven, the steps are clear, and the investment is minimal.

Remember: you shouldn't have to choose between entertaining strangers and reaching your actual people. With engagement ads, you can train the algorithm to work FOR you, not against you.

Your action plan:

Complete the post audit worksheet today
Set up your custom audiences this week
Launch your first engagement ad within 7 days
Monitor and optimize weekly

The algorithm isn't your enemy – it just needs proper training. Give it the right signals with engagement ads, and watch your organic reach and business results transform.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do engagement ads cost?

Engagement ads typically cost between $0.005-$0.01 per engagement. Target under $0.01 (1 cent) per engagement for good performance, and under $0.005 (half a cent) for excellent results. If you're consistently paying over $0.02 per engagement, review your audience targeting or post choice.

What's the difference between engagement ads and conversion ads?

Engagement ads focus on building relationships and warming up audiences through likes, comments, and shares. They cost $0.01 per engagement and work as a long-term strategy. Conversion ads push for immediate sales, cost $1-5 per click, and are best for businesses with established funnels and proven offers.

How long should I run engagement ads?

Run engagement ads for at least 2-3 weeks to allow optimization. Most course creators see organic reach improvements after 4-6 weeks. Keep running indefinitely if cost per engagement stays under $0.01 and audiences grow steadily. These ads work best as an ongoing strategy, not a short-term campaign.

What makes a good engagement ad post?

A good engagement ad post scores 16+ points using our audit system: strong hook (5 points), valuable content that positions your expertise (5 points), existing social proof from warm audience (5 points), and perfect alignment with your ideal customer (5 points). Educational content often outperforms entertainment posts.

Can I run engagement ads without an email list?

Yes, but you'll need at least 100 recognizable contacts in your target country for lookalike audiences. If you don't have an email list, use interest-based targeting instead. Focus on 2-3 specific interests related to your niche rather than broad categories.

How do I know if my engagement ads are working?

Monitor three key metrics weekly: cost per engagement (target under $0.01), audience growth (50-200 new people per week with $5/day budget), and organic post performance improvements (typically visible after 2-4 weeks). Quality engagement from your ideal customers matters more than quantity.

Should I respond to comments on my engagement ads?

Absolutely! Responding to comments increases your post's engagement rate and signals to the algorithm that your content generates meaningful conversations. This can lower your cost per engagement and improve ad performance. Respond thoughtfully and promptly to maintain momentum.

What if my engagement ads aren't getting approved?

Common approval issues include policy violations, unclear business information, or flagged content. Ensure your post follows Meta's advertising policies, your business information is complete in Business Manager, and avoid controversial topics. If rejected, review Meta's feedback and make necessary adjustments before resubmitting.

Can I use the same post for multiple engagement ad campaigns?

Yes, but monitor performance carefully. The same post can work well across different audience segments or time periods. However, if you're targeting the same audience repeatedly, consider refreshing your creative to avoid ad fatigue, which can increase costs and decrease engagement quality.

When should I stop running an engagement ad?

Stop or pause engagement ads if: cost per engagement consistently exceeds $0.02, audience growth stagnates, comments feel off-brand or irrelevant, or you're making major changes to your business messaging. Otherwise, successful engagement ads can run indefinitely as part of your ongoing marketing strategy.

Want more actionable marketing strategies? Tune into our podcast for weekly insights on scaling your online course business with Facebook and Instagram ads that work. Listen on Apple – Spotify – YouTube

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